When Steve Sarkisian took over the Huskies program in 2009, he made it clear that he was going to run the offense, and was bringing Nick Holt with him from USC to run the defense. Nick took over what was an epically bad defense, and despite the howls from the Internet about his defense not progressing, still has the support of Sarkisian, who has shown complete trust in Holt and that he will get them where they need to go.

The question is, how has he done so far?

Similar to the offensive article, we will look at how the defense did after 4 games in the season, and how those numbers changed by the end of the season.

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DE Haouli Jamora, a sophomore from Laie, Hawai'i, tore an anterior cruciate ligament early in the Cal game. He will have surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Jamora was a standout who started all four games at defensive end this year, totaling 15 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack.

Since this was the fourth game of the year I am not sure if he qualifies for a medical red shirt.

Expect to see a lot more of Andrew Hudson and Josh Shirley starting this Saturday....count on Everrette Thompson spending most of his time outside too.

Update: According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times the injury happened during the first half of the game which means that he will likely be granted a fifth year.

Nothing feels better on Monday morning than looking through the rear view mirror at another hard fought victory.

Your Washington Huskies are now 3-1 on the season and are half-way to bowl eligibility.

This was a game the Huskies had to have. It was against an equal and beatable opponent at home early in the season.

Win this one and it makes things less complicated down the stretch. Mission accomplished and the Huskies are off to Salt Lake City next week to face a Utah team which is definitely in the same category as California.

Utah is going to be a tougher opponent for a number of reasons. It is the first Pac 12 home game for the Utes. The crowd is going to be pumped up and the team is going to be psyched out of their minds. Make no mistake about it this is going to be a huge game for Utah.

The key for the UW coaches this week is getting the point across about how big of a game this actually is. Even though these squads are even in many respects Utah has a decided edge. Las Vegas gets it because they have installed the Utes as seven point favorites in this one.

If you ask me I think that is a little steep...the only way Washington loses this game is if they turn the ball over repeatedly or they simply don't respect Utah. While Washington's defense is suspect the Husky offense is on a different plane right now than Utah. Not sure if the Utes can keep up if we don't make mistakes.

Quote of the Week

I think the Huskies should use this quote whenever they are recruiting a local player that is on the fence.

Cal defensive tackle Trevor Guyton, a Redmond High grad who had the Bears' only two sacks

"It just hurts, leaving my college career and not beating (the Huskies) for three years now. It's not a good feeling."

We feel for you Trevor....Not!

Recruiting

Shaq Thompson who happens to be the number one safety recruit was in the house this weekend and he says UW and Cal are his leaders. He made the comment that UW felt just like home when questioned about his visit.

Expect a player or two during most home games to visit but the Oregon game probably shapes up as the biggest in season recruiting weekend. Most visits this season will be after the season so the coaches have more time to spend with each individual recruit.

Learn about the Utes

Jazzy Ute who is a good friend of our blog has a preview of the game on his SBN blog which is called Block U. Ya think that Jazzy just might be a John Stockton fan?

This Saturday marks the first time in program history Utah will host a Pac-12 conference game. Their opponent, Washington, is a team the Utes have never defeated, owning an all-time record of 0-6 - though these two teams last met over 30 years ago.

Jazzy Ute

Pac 12 Power Poll

1. Stanford...The Cards had a week off to rest up but the cupcake part of their schedule continues this week as UCLA visits the farm.

2. Oregon...The Ducks had no problem on the road against an outmatched Arizona squad. This week they take the week off to get ready for the meat of the schedule.

3. Arizona State...The Devils finally got rid of the USC jinx with a strong win at home. Up next is a gift from the God's in the form of Oregon State at home.

4. Washington...Keith Price and the Husky offense are developing into something special. If the defense can get better this team could surprise. Some may think this ranking is pretty high but everything is pretty even once you get behind Oregon and Stanford.

5. Southern Cal...Tough loss to ASU on the road has Kiffin and company scrambling for answers. Why can't Matt Barkley be more accurate is one of them? Up next is the potential beat down of Arizona.

6. Utah...The Ute's face the Huskies in their first ever Pac 12 home game after having a week off to prepare for the Huskies. Expect this one to go down to the wire.

7. California...Tough loss in Seattle leaves Bear fans questioning many of Jeff Tedford's decisions during the game. Up next is a week off to heal up from the bruising inflicted by the purple and the gold.

8. Arizona...The Wildcats aren't getting it done and are in serious danger of bringing up the rear of this conference before it is all said and done. Up next is an angry USC team in LA.

9. UCLA...Beating the hapless Beavers was a serious must win for this program and its coach. Up next is a potential clown stomping at the hands of Stanford. Neuheisel could be like Valdemort....perhaps he finds a way to survive against all odds until the last episode.

10. Washington State...The Cougs head out on the road to face Colorado after having a week to think about a disappointing loss to SDSU. Wulff needs to win this game to have any chance of keeping his job...you read it here first.

11. Colorado...Coming off a thrashing at the hands of Ohio State I like the Buff's chances against the Cougars at home. The Buff's are improving while the Cougars seem to be struggling on the road which of course is a hallmark of bad teams.

12. Oregon State...Tough loss to a terrible UCLA team shows just how far the Beavers have fallen. I expected some sort of positive bounce for the Beavs this week but it didn't happen.

Quarterback - Keith Price made a couple of costly mistakes but those type of things are going to happen now and then. That being said I think he is going to be one of the best quarterbacks in Washington history. All this kid does is lead and make plays. He is really fun to watch and he willed his team to victory today. Who leads the country in TD passes? I guess that would be Keith Price. Grade - A Minus

Running Backs - Chris Polk failed to go over the century mark in rushing but his 70 yard TD reception won the game for the Dawgs. Cal's defensive front is one of the best we will see this season. I loved the way Bishop Sankey looked when Sark featured him for a series. Sankey is going to be real good! Callier as usual was solid in every role that was given to him. Amosa made some great blocks. Grade - B

Wide Receivers - Chris Polk was actually the leading receiver for UW with four catches. ASJ had a great game with two TD grabs but had a costly fumble which nearly cost UW the game in the fourth quarter. Jermaine Kearse was knocked out of a game for the second time this season. I only saw one obvious drop so it was a pretty solid performance. Grade - A Minus

Offensive Line - Chris Polk only gained 60 yards on twenty carries so these guys had a tough time with the Cal defensive front. Kohler was exposed at times but he seems to have a knack for learning from the experience and getting better. I guess you can say that about the entire unit. Grade - B Minus

Defensive Line - These guys aren't getting enough pressure on the quarterback and a lot of it has to do with how conservative Holt is calling the game. I'm not sure if Holt has the confidence to go for the QB early. Holt should call Jim Lambright up on the phone and ask if he can borrow some hair. Ta'amu still isn't playing at all conference level. He only had one assist to his credit which is ridiculous. I did think that Everrette Thompson had his best game of the season. The ends seemed more active and we definitely had a Josh Shirley sighting. Josh picked up his first sack as a Husky. Grade - B Minus

Linebacker - Cort Dennison was the defensive player of the game. He was everywhere and made some incredible plays. I just love this guy and he knocked the snot out of people at times. Jamaal Kearse gets mention because he knocked the snot out of people on special teams and did a great of subbing for Timu. He definitely opened some eyes. Grade - B Plus

Secondary - Hard to imagine that Quinton Richardson could be worse than he was last week but he was. Sometimes you scratch your head with "Q" and wonder what he is thinking or not thinking. His mental lapses are worth 7-14 points per game for the opposition. Trufant can be shut down at times but he was clearly challenged by the bigger Cal receivers. Have to say that Cal has an excellent group of receivers and at least three of those kids will play on Sunday. Gobern came in and gave us some good reps. Grade - C Plus

Special Teams - The punting and kicking was fine as usual. We had some nice returns and the coverage was pretty decent. Smith and Callier are developing into serious return threats. Kasen Williams seems to be more comfortable each week returning punts. Grade - A

Coaching - I thought Sark called one of his better games. Some of his calls really brought a smile to my face because they were absolutely brilliant. Polks TD reception was one of those moments. That was just a brilliant play call. The ground game wasn't working but Sark played it well and kept his team from becoming one dimensional. Holt's defense gave up 457 yards which just isn't acceptable, but how many of those yards are directly attributable to Quinton Richardson? Gee I don't know...150 or more? You can't argue with the outcome which was a 31-23 win but the defense is holding back the rest of the team...and a lot of it is on him based on the way he calls the game. He need to get the pressure on the opposing QB earlier in the game. All that being said a goal line stand did win today's game and they get plus points for that. The UW defense held Cal to only 3 points in the second half. Grade - B Plus

Offensive Player of the Week - QB Keith Price - He was 19-25 for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He has 14 TD's in four games to lead the country.

Defensive Player of the Week - MLB Cort Dennison - He led the team with 11 tackles and had a number of key stops which rallied the team to victory.

I want to apologize personally to anyone who was offended by a post earlier this week which included the use of a racial stereotype in one of the paragraphs. The article in question was edited once it was brought to my attention. I apologize for not noticing it sooner.

Even if a racial stereotype is employed with the utmost innocence and goodwill (as it was in this case), simply by making a minority the butt of a joke puts that minority in an inferior position which of course makes its use unacceptable in this or any SBN forum.

We aren't perfect here but we try to take the high road in everything that we do. I think that has been a key ingredient in building a Husky football forum which has become quite unique. I want to thank everyone for their participation in making this one of the best places to discuss Husky football!

I thought these guys were going to a be lot better.

I thought this defense turned the corner over the last five games of 2010.

Three games into 2011 it looks like I was wrong. These guys still haven't turned the corner and they aren't playing as cohesively as their brothers on offensive side of the ball.

Washington ranks 107th in scoring defense and 108th in total defense which is totally unacceptable. So whose fault is it? If you ask Steve Kelly,  the majority of posters on Dawgman, and perhaps even the posters here at the Dawg Pound the culprit is defensive coordinator Nick Holt.

I'm not buying into that yet and neither is Steve Sarkisian. I think the defense has considerable upside and things are going to start turning around this week.

Defensive Tackle - Alameda Ta'amu hasn't been able to match his performance from last season. A cast on his hand has hampered him. Semisi Tokolahi played for the first time against Nebraska. His return to the lineup could help down the line but I don't see him threatening for significant playing time until after the byeweek. Much was expected out of Everrette Thompson but he seems to just  disappear out there.

Depth: Expect Sione Potoae, Lawrence Lagafuiana, and Danny Shelton to get more playing time in coming weeks to keep the starters fresh.

Looking Forward: These guys really need to start capturing the magic they had at the end of last season. To say these guys have been disappointing is an understatement. You have to think that there will be plenty of upside with these guys.

Defense End - Haouli Jamora is an all conference type of talent with a motor that never stops running. He is having a good season and is probably the most active guy on the entire line. Talia Chrichton isn't having much of an impact on the other side. Everrette Thompson hasn't been spectacular inside or out.  Andrew Hudson has seen increased playing time over the last couple of weeks.

Depth : Josh Shirley has seen action in all three games and has made a couple of tackles. He hasn't had much of an impact as a pass rusher but that will change over time. The coaches say he has been lighting it up at practice again.  Andrew Hudson has looked good and it seems he is being groomed to be a starter.

Looking Forward : Jamora will continue to play well but the key is finding some success on the opposite side.

Linebacker - Cort Dennison has turned in an all conference performance at middle line backer this season. He plays hard every down and he sacrifices his body on every play. John Timu and Princeton Fuimaono have improved but I am not the only one who is wondering this week if Grant Gilliliand and Thomas Tutogi should be playing with the one's.

Depth: The coaches have been giving Kearse some opportunities here and there. Tucker was moved to fullback and Nick Holt Jr is now back at linebacker.

Looking forward: Folks don't realize that replacing a guy like Mason Foster isn't easy. These guys are talented and will continue to improve. Keeping Cort healthy is key.

Cornerbacks - Desmond Trufant has evolved into a better player this season. Quinton Richardson is coming off a terrible game against Nebraska. An ankle injury that happened in the pre season has contributed to his slow start. "Q" has also played a little nickel when they wanted to have Gregory Ducre on the field at the same time as him.

Depth: Ducre and Gobern represent the only depth that has played this season.

Looking Forward: Richardson has the ability to play a lot better and I think he will bounce back strong. Overall depth and talent is still a serious problem at CB.

Safety - Safety is perhaps the deepest position on the Washington roster. Justin Glenn had the best game any safety at Washington has had this year when he picked up 15 tackles against Nebraska. He started in place of Nate Fellner who was out with an injury. Glenn is more of a role player than a starter and is solid in the nickel. Sean Parker leads the team with 26 tackles on the season. No word yet on when Fellner will be back. He was running stairs on Monday.

Depth : Sample has been slowed by a shoulder injury. Taz Stevenson is dinged right now.

Looking Forward: Justin Glenn and Nate Fellner are going to be 1-A and 1-B at free safety for the rest of the year. Sean Parker continues to improve at strong safety. Plenty of quality depth behind these guys.

The line on this one has been shrinking all week. It opened at three points and it is now down to only one on the eve of the game. Obviously the health of QB Keith Price and a leaky Washington defense are not inspiring the confidence of the folks who bet on college football for a living.

I am going to come out right away and say that I think that Washington is going to win this football game. California does not play well on the road and they tend to play even worse in Husky stadium for some reason. I think this trend which was interrupted briefly during the past decade will continue and Washington will be the victor on Saturday.

What about the Husky defense you ask?

I think they are going to bounce back big time from that terrible performance against Nebraska. This squad has been very resilient since Sark and Holt took over. More often than not this program shows improvement week to week. I don't see that changing. I expect the Husky defense to redeem itself against Cal.

This is going to be a close hard fought contest. Cal has been impressive so far this season but I don't think they did themselves any favors by playing Presbyterian last week. I think the battle tested Huskies are going to hit the field with a good head of steam. I think they are going to play faster than Cal and come out and hit them right in the mouth.

I pick the Huskies to win because they are starting to really click on offense. Cal has one of the better defenses in the conference but Washington has the play makers to handle it. Count on Price to toss 3-4 TD passes and for Chris Polk to run for over 125 yards.

Washington will win this one 31-24 and the media will spend next week writing about how great a defensive coach that Nick Holt has become under the span of only a few days.
 

Colorado at Ohio State

The Buffalo's are improving and Ohio State has dropped out of the top 25 for the first time in a zillion years. That being said Ohio State isn't going to have much of a problem beating these guys.

Vegas - Ohio State by 15 1/2 - John B Picks - Ohio State 35 Colorado 17

UCLA at Oregon State

The winner gets to live another day and the loser is headed to the basement for the rest of the season.

Vegas - Oregon State by 5 - John B Picks Oregon State 31 UCLA 24

USC at Arizona State

Biggest game in the South this season. ASU and Erickson have something to prove after a disappointing road trip to Illinois.

Vegas - ASU by 2.5 - John B Picks - ASU 27 USC 24

Oregon at Arizona

This one should be over quickly even though it is on the road. Arizona ust doesn't have it on either side of the ball this year.

Vegas - Oregon by 16 - John B Picks - Oregon 42 Arizona 17

I have two songs stuck in my head right now.  One is absolutely horrible and I would be absolutely embarrassed out of my mind if you knew what it was.  The second is "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers.  Yes, I'm having a bad day.

You know who else is having a bad day?  Nick Holt.  The highest paid Defensive Coordinator in the Pac 12 is putting up Baer-ian statistics and, well, he's gotten called out for it.  Deservedly so ... although how his D can go from where they were in the Holiday Bowl to where they are now reeks of player execution issues.  Regardless, it;s a pretty good bet that we might be seeing his name again in this week's Pac 12 Sightlines.

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